1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to networks that receive and transmit groups of logic signals from remote locations and, more particularly, to apparatus and method for insuring the accuracy of the information transmitted between the local and the remote locations by unambiguously identifying the initiation of a message on the network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the automatic control of processes, process control networks are provided to collect status information by at least one central location and to distribute control signals to the devices coupled to the network. Referring to FIG. 1, a portion of such a process control network is shown. The process control network includes a system bus 5 which has at least one central control unit 6 coupled thereto and at least one bus interface module 9 also coupled thereto. The central control unit 6 receives signals from the system bus 5 that typically communicate the status of user devices coupled to the process control network and applies signals to the network that provide the control signals determining the operation of the user devices. The bus interface unit 9 applies status signals to the system bus and receives signals from the system bus 5 which are relevant to a subset of network user devices 10 that communicate with the central control unit 6 through bus interface unit 9. User devices 10, (such as motors, lamps and heaters), responding to digital signals, receive control signals through device interface unit 16 and digital output module 12 from the bus interface unit 9. User devices 10 providing digital status signals in response to contact closures provide status signals to the bus interface unit 9 by means of device interface unit 17 and digital input module 13. User devices 10, (such as control valves), responding to analog control signals, receive signals from the bus interface unit 9 by means of output analog module 14 and device interface unit 18. User devices 10, (such as flowmeters, level detectors, pressure meters etc.), of the type providing analog status information, provide the status signals to bus interface unit through interface module 19 and analog input module 15. The device interface units 16, 17, 18 and 19 convert the signals received from and transmitted to the user devices into a format usable by the digital output and input modules and the analog output and input modules, respectively. The digital input and output modules 13 and 12 and the analog input and output modules 15 and 14 couple the signals of the user devices, as transformed by the device interface unit, with the bus interface unit 9 by means of local bus 11.
In the communication between the bus interface unit 9 and the input and output modules, it is necessary to identify the initiation of a message. Otherwise, the initial portion of the message may be lost and the information compromised. In the related art, several techniques have been used to identify the initiation of a message. The intermessage spacing can have a predetermined value. The receiving unit can clock quiescent period when no message is being transmitted and accept the group of signals immediately following the quiescent period. This technique has not proven satisfactory because malfunction in the receiving apparatus can compromise the receipt of valid information after a period of non-use. Another technique to determine the initiation of a message is the use of a preamble character or group of characters that alerts the receiving apparatus of the presence of a message being transmitted thereafter. The preamble technique requires relatively sophisticated apparatus for the generation and detection and places a relatively great burden of non-information bearing communication on the network.
A need has therefore been felt for apparatus and method that can identify the initiation of a message on a network that relies on a plurality of criteria and which does not require elaborate apparatus to implement and which does not appreciably increase the traffic on the network.